Joanna Mądroszkiewicz was a phenomenon as a child
in her native Poland where she was described as "absolutely
exceptional and a violin virtuoso of unlimited talent". She made
her debut at the National Philharmonic Warsaw in 1977 and a
spectacular career followed, marked by formal recognition (Grand
Prize as Poland’s best young artist in 1977, several competition
prizes, including "Paganini-Genoa", "Wieniawski-Lublin", "Concertino-Prague")
and performances in all the leading concert halls in Poland. This
came to an abrupt end in 1981 when she emigrated to Austria only
months before the imposition of martial law.
She made her Austrian debut in the Vienna
"Konzerthaus" on 14 December 1981 to an enthusiastic reception. This
was followed by engagements throughout Austria, appearances in major
halls across Europe and overseas (USA debut followed 1983) as well
as collaboration with outstanding orchestras, conductors and
pianists. Joanna Mądroszkiewicz studied with Zygmunt Walter
and Stefan Herman in Poland, Günter Pichler in Vienna and Arthur Grumiaux in Belgium.
From these three different violin schools she has
synthesized her own unique style in which virtuoso playing is not
merely brilliant technique, but the basis for reconciling the
apparent opposites of passionate emotion and rich poetic color with
the structures of chamber music. She also employs the legendary
Bronislaw Huberman’s fascinating and characteristic techniques
transmitted through Stefan Herman, one of Huberman’s rare students.
This style has enabled her to develop an enormously broad and
growing repertoire. Thus, for instance, she made her debut at the
Salzburg Festival in 1998 with the Vienna Philharmonic playing Kurt
Weill’s violin concerto, an exceptional rarity in the concert hall.
Die Presse (11 August 1998) commented, "…sensitive string playing, a
poetic dialogue with the wonderful accompanying orchestra, sparkling,
witty virtuosity.”
Joanna Mądroszkiewicz's repertoire encompasses
all the violin works of J.S. Bach, the complete violin sonatas
of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, over forty violin
concertos and more than 100 miniatures of the great violin masters,
the complete oeuvre of Paganini, as well as virtually the complete
Polish violin literature.
Her commitment to making Polish violin literature
better known throughout the world and to showing rarely performed
violin works in a new and unusual light led to her being called an "icon
among the violin virtuoso of our time". Thus her interpretation of
the violin works of Karol Szymanowski was regarded by music
connoisseurs as exemplary. Also her latest recording of complete works for
violin and piano
In 1992 she began a series of programs which she
calls "Dialogue" designed to use music as bridge towards
intercultural understanding and bring Polish music to a wider world.
A significant example was her dialogue with the musical richness of
Judaism (one of her Dialogue programs was presented at the B’nai
B’rith Festival in London). "Against cultural one-sightedness", said
Fono Forum 2/93 to her debut for EMI, which was devoted to Jewish
music. The Illustrierte Neue Welt of February 1994 added, "…an
excellent musical performance together with a constant effort to use
music as a means of understanding among peoples from different
cultures." This activity on behalf of Polish music and
international understanding aroused interest outside the music world
and in 1994 led to awarding her the Officer’s Cross for Services to
the Republic of Poland.
Cultural understanding between Germany and Poland
has also been consistent theme in her work. For instance, she
performed for the German and Polish presidents during their goodwill
meeting in Darmstadt in June 2005.
Joanna Mądroszkiewicz’s commitment to Polish
music is exemplified in several of her recordings. Her CD with the
works of the great Polish virtuoso, Henryk Wieniawski, remains today
the “class act in violin virtuosity “(Klassik heute 6/99) and her
recording (a world wide first) of transcriptions for violin and
piano of some of Chopin's most beautiful compositions constitute
another addition to her mosaic of unusual ideas in repertoire. In
2009 she devoted her latest CD (with Paul Gulda ) to Polish music:
the complete works for violin and piano of Karol Szymanowski. This
recording earned them the “Supersonic Award” (“Pizzicato “ Luxemburg
6/2009).
But for all her love of the music of her native
land, Joanna Mądroszkiewicz has made the great classics of music and
the discoveries of the moderns the core of her repertoire. For example: the live recording "Hommage to
Mozart" (together with Barbara Moser) earned her the "Wiener
Flötenuhr". “Bach-heart and soul”…that's how a Der Spiegel
critic described Joanna Mądroszkiewicz's recording of the complete
solo violin sonatas.
In 2007 she recorded the very rarely performed
violin works of the Austrian composer and musicologist Egon Wellesz
who lived in exile in Oxford.
In 2008 she was granted an advanced degree in
violin at the Vienna University of Music and the Performing Arts,
where she was also appointed a permanent member of the teaching
faculty.
"Joanna Mądroszkiewicz - a Polish violin
virtuoso of rare talent. A European, who sees her love of Europe,
its culture and thought as the principle of her life…".